Arab press: Al-Muallem's alternative between Russia, Iran; Lebanon awaits the most dangerous stage

On Tuesday morning, Arab press touched upon the Syrian situation, as well as to Libyan meetings.

 The substitute for Walid al-Muallem between Russia and Iran

The beginning is from Syria, and in this context Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper said: “Yesterday, the body of the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, who died at dawn, was buried after suffering from cancer, in addition to heart problems, which prompted the allies of Damascus, Russia and Iran to observe the selection of a successor to al-Muallem.

With the death of al-Muallem (79 years), a new page of one of President Hafez al-Assad’s men was turned in conjunction with the fiftieth anniversary of his accession to power in what was called the “corrective movement.” For fifty years, Syria had known three foreign ministers, he was the only one who died in office without defecting or being deported.

Al-Muallem’s departure coincided with President Bashar al-Assad’s making a series of political, security and media changes, which included strengthening the roles of those close to him in the presidential palace, with broader symbolic changes expected in the coming days, including the last remaining figures from al-Assad phase - the father.

In the absence of al-Muallem, attention is directed to his successor to know the directions of Syrian politics that the Russian and Iranian influence in Damascus and the regional and international players are exchanging with. Western diplomats visiting Damascus said that his deputy, Faisal al-Miqdad, is "the closest to Iran", and that "the Russians advise all their interlocutors to meet Ayman Sousan," deputy minister the Foreign Ministry, pointing out that Syria's representative to the United Nations, Bashar al-Jaafari, is "close to Tehran's thinking."

"Washington is testing Paris on the issue of Lebanon and Libya"

Al Arab newspaper, in its turn, said: “The visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to France on Monday puts President Emmanuel Macron in a delicate position after the latter is looking forward to discussing the pending regional issues with US President-elect Joe Biden, who carries more flexible approaches than his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Observers believe that the visit of the US Secretary of State, whose duties will officially end by next January, can be described as a visit to test the French position on the pending regional files, especially the recent US moves in the Libyan and Lebanese files, as well as the position on the Eastern Mediterranean.

France and the United States stand on opposite sides in these files, as Washington imposed its vision of peace in Libya through the American envoy to Tripoli Stephanie Williams, and it seemed to have caught the strings of the game in Lebanon as well through its ambassador in Beirut, Dorothy Shea.

The US strategy, especially in Libya, needs the support of influential countries, especially Paris, in order to support Williams, who succeeded in imposing the American vision for peace in Libya, while the former UN envoy, affiliated with France, Ghassan Salameh, failed.

Observers do not rule out that the French government is trying to impose itself as a major player in Libya and regain its influence as soon as the Trump administration leaves power, even at the expense of the political "achievements" that Williams has achieved so far.

They point out that Pompeo's visit to Paris, which is likely to be the last, embarrasses the French president, seeking to regain the initiative in Libya, as he finds himself forced to present his position on the course of events there and the extent of his enthusiasm for what has been achieved on the political level.

In Lebanon, the historic French region of influence, the US ambassador to Beirut, Dorothy Shea, seeks to seize all strings of the game and block the path to the French political initiative that does not object to the participation of Lebanese Hezbollah in the government of Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri, which is what Washington is expressing to undermine its strategy in confronting Iranian influence in Lebanon.

The American ambassador considered that any step in this direction would force Washington to turn its back on Lebanon, and no one would be able to help it at that time, referring to the French efforts.

Libyan meetings in Tunisia fail to choose the authorities

Regarding the Libyan issue, Al-Bayan newspaper said: "White smoke did not appear in the sky of the resort of Gammarth, north of the Tunisian capital, the day before yesterday, to announce that the features of the new transitional phase in Libya had been drawn up, as was expected at least by the most optimistic observers."

After a long wait, the UN envoy to Libya, Stephanie Williams, went out to announce the postponement of the decision in the formation of the new authorities until the week, when the Libyan Dialogue Forum will resume, but through visual communication via the Internet, indicating that the forum seeks to change the current situation by forming a government Technocrats, regardless of who will take over its presidency, stressing that Libya needs a strong and unified government to pull it out of the current crisis.

T/S

ANHA